Finding the Roses
by rEd RoSe-StArFiRe-RoSeFiRe
Summary: On HIATUS Rewrite of original Under the Roses. 5 years after her death, Edward is coping as well as he can. On the way to Rome, he claims to have seen Bella, but the woman claims to know nothing about him. Will he get her to remember him?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a rewrite of Under the Rose, as I am going to shorten it. There will be a lot of scenes the same as Under the Rose...but trust me, it will be different. Enjoy!**

_Smell the Roses II: Finding The Roses_

_Chapter 1  
_

_by: Rosefire_

I really did not know where I was going except that I was going somewhere to satisfy my needs.

Even though I already have satisfied my needs. Looking at the window in my seat in an airplane to Rome, I realized how much had changed in the past five years.

My daughter, Lisette, had grown to be a wonderful girl – a beautiful girl with brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, just as her.

As I remember it now, I realized that because Lisette was Bella's sister, that would make my sister-in-law, in my heart. Now I had all the permission in the world to have her as my family.

"Sir?" I turned around and saw the flight attendant as she looked at me. "Would you like something?"

I took a good look at her and saw that her eye was slightly twitching. Poor girl. She probably wanted to ask me out. "No."

She nodded, defeated as she moved to the next man.

I smiled as I thought that she reminded me of the many girls who have hit on me the past few years. Consequently, I haven't had any interest in them.

I left Lisette with Rose and Emmett because I knew that they would welcome her with open arms. The last time I heard was that they were trying to get pregnant – but without avail. Rose would make a fabulous mother and Emmett a super and caring father.

Alice and Jasper had spent the last few years raising their son Liam, who was two years younger than Lisette. They were practically best friends. You couldn't see them apart anywhere.

And why was I flying to Rome? I just needed a day on my own, or so Alice claimed.

I realized that the airplane was landing when the seatbelt sign turned on again. I looked straight forward at the seat cushion in front of me as I wished that I was with Lisette and not on this mission.

The airplane landed safely and I grabbed my carry on luggage from the over head compartment. I smiled at the lady in front of me and let her pass first. After, I walked through the crowded aisle and noticed many seniors staying on the flight for assistance from the attendants.

I looked straight and saw eyes which I thought I would never see in my life. Her eyes were hazel and her hair was reddish brown – almost the tone of my hair. Her facial features were very familiar and as I passed by, she noticed me.

Her face went pale, but her skin was already pale.

I didn't want to believe that as I thought it was the one person I wanted to see in my past five years.

I cried and cried at nights as I thought about her.

It was…"Bella?" I muttered.

I wasn't sure if she had heard me mutter her name but she instantly paled at the sight of me. She turned around quickly and muttered to a fellow attendant something I wished I could have heard. The woman she was speaking to looked at me and smiled, "Have a good trip."

Very quickly, she turned around and followed the woman into the restroom. How would they have fit in there - the both of them? I knew that whoever that woman was, she knew who I was. So as I walked down the terminal, I could only focus on that woman's horrified expression. Why had I scared her to the extent of her turning her back on me? Was I really that terrifying? Maybe I was. Maybe I was a monster of letting Bella go out that night and getting herself brutally murdered. Maybe, just maybe.

I wasn't sure of what to do now that I was in Rome. Where was I supposed to go? Everywhere around me there were Italian words which I semi understood from what my father had taught me. Maybe I should get a dictionary for Italian- English translation. As I walked, I saw a woman who smiled at me which seemed quite flirtatious. I tried to smile back, but I was beyond disgusted. Ever since I raised Lisette, any other woman would have been quite disturbing to find attractive.

Flirtatious ladies were definitely not my style. Bella had never been the type to flirt, and I was alright with that. She had asked me if I was American. Knowing that I would not be polite if I didn't answer, I replied, "Yes, I am from America."

She smiled as her eyes lit up, "So, you must be that man that Miss Mars was talking about."

My eyes widened as I hoped that I knew who she was talking about. "Does she have hair almost the same as mine and hazel eyes?"

She looked up at my hair and nodded profusely. "Oh my god, she does!"

I smiled as I pushed it further. "Do you know what her full name is?"

She narrowed her eyes as she was hesitant. "What are you to her? Are you her brother or something?" I could almost hear the tone of her voice to be hopeful, as if she wanted me to be her brother and nothing else.

"No," I replied. Wanting to tell her that I was taken, I replied, "She is my friend, who I have lost touch a long time ago. I need to talk to her. Do you know who she is and where she is right now?"

Her eyes looked very hesitant. She looked as if my answers didn't satisfy her. She definitely looked as if I wasn't the person who I told her I was, and as if I just wanted to get to know this Miss Mars for my own pleasure. "How can I be sure that you aren't lying?"

I looked down at her and stared into her eyes. I knew that by the sincerity of the love I had for Bella would show in my eyes. She looked down a minute later, trying to avert my gaze. I still stood in front of her waiting her answer. Why wouldn't she give me an answer?

She looked up at me finally as she replied, "Her name is Veronica Bennett. She is probably on terminal one where the attendants are picked up by their families. If you ask a guard, they will probably lead the way."

I nodded as I thanked her and hurried my way along the airport. I looked for signs looking for Terminal One but I couldn't help but wonder if the woman was lying to me. I mean, I wouldn't blame her. She was just trying to protect her friend from me. What she didn't know that she was trying to protect her friend from her lover.

Or was he even her lover. How could I be so confident that she indeed was Bella? I didn't even know if she was the one who was supposed to be buried six feet under ground.

I walked to a security guard who was assisting another blonde woman. I stood behind them, waiting as I knew that my aimless walking around wouldn't get me anywhere. I stayed where I was as I tried to understand what they were talking about. However, it was in Italian, and it was a language which I only half understood.

I did pick up "I lost my baggage. I need help. My sister is lost." But nothing else. I was sure as hell that if this man didn't help the poor woman, I knew that he wouldn't help me. To my surprise, the man and the blonde disappeared just for a few minutes before the blonde woman hugged him and thanked him. She left with her baggage and her sister tightly on her arm.

I looked up at the man as I asked in English, "Where's terminal one?"

He looked down at me as he asked, "Why do you want to know?"

I replied, "I need to find my sister. She's a flight attendant. But I don't know where to meet her."

He asked for the name of my "sister". "Veronica Bennett."

He looked down at a sheet that he had in his hands before he looked up at me and nodded. " down the stairs over there and follow the signs before you see the Terminal One. You will see your sister there."

I thanked him tremendously as I hurried down the stairs and walked towards the Terminal One. I knew that this was going to be my chance to confront this Veronica. I knew that somewhere in my heart that she was Bella. I just knew it.

As I walked towards the Terminal One, I looked everywhere for a bronze haired woman before a speck of bronze caught my eye. I looked at the woman and knew that it was this Veronica person. I was about to go walk towards her before she squealed and jumped into another man's arms.

My eyes widened when they pulled apart and saw a man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Why this surprised me wasn't because she was with a man. Beside her even, there was a toddler with her hair.

But the fact that the man looked like the man who had killed Bella.

Jessica was found dead near the warehouses that Bella was also killed.

Mike was to be put on charges for killing two women, but we couldn't.

Mike was never found.

And I think I found him in Italy with a family.

**The next two chapters will be entirely new so you watch out for awesome chapters and an entirely different plot line. **

**Forgiveness is the scent that a rose leaves on the heel that crushes it.**

**-Rosefire**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone! So as you might know - the next chapter hasn't been up in like a month...I know. I am working on it - then I realize the computer I was writing on crashed. SO all of my chapters are gone. Just hold tight - I might be able to get one out today...but it might be short...So here it is....**

My eyes were working wonders, I knew, as I saw the lady standing next to me ask, "Are you alright, son?"

I nodded absentmindedly, thanked her for her notice and walked slowly towards the reunited family. Behind me, I managed the catch the elderly woman's remark, "Young men these days don't even know any manners. Didn't even bother to look at me. Hmph!"

I chuckled as I knew that I must have seemed to be rude, but it was not incidentally. She must have noticed the lost, forlorn look I must have had in my eyes, when I saw the little family rejoice. I needed to find out who that woman was and why she was with a Mike look-alike.

Before I realized it, I was just in front of the family I was anxious to meet. I looked at the man as he smiled when the little girl had asked him a question. The Mike look-alike smiled and simply ruffled her hair. The woman beside, Veronica, was laughing when she noticed the man and girl interact.

I needed to find out who they were, so I mustered up my courage and I was already - what the hell! I am a FBI agent, I should be able to do this.

I sighed as I realized that I was talking to myself out loud again when I noticed a few heads turn, but not including the family I wanted to see me. I was about to say hello when I heard the woman, Veronica, say, "I think we must be going along." She must have noticed me walk up to them, because I saw her throw a glance at me before turning her back towards me.

The man seemed surprised, but he didn't mind when he replied, "Alright."

"No wait!" I exclaimed as I ran foreward to try to stop them from exiting the airport. Damn it! I missed them when they immediately left through the door and out to catch the next taxi.

I knew that I was not going to let this go.

-:-

I stepped out of my taxi and onto the pavement in front of the magnificient hotel Alice had managed to get me. Really, I wonder how she knows about everything, everywhere. I realized that it was just one of the quirks that came with the package "Alice". I was just glad to have her to be my sister. I knew that I had to catch up with Rose and Emmett to see how Lisette was.

It was gorgeous - the hotel. The magnificient architecture on the outside of the building had drawn me in instantly. I knew that I was going to get the vacation I had so called deserved here. I walked inside and checked in.

The woman incidently was checking me out, I could tell, and was not so light on the flirting either. With her rich Italian accent, she had asked me, "Would there be anything you would be needing, Mr. Cullen?"

"No," I spat out as I instantly regretted my tone. The look on her face was too pitiful to pass without saying that I was sorry. I apologized and thanked her before going to my room.

When I arrived in my room, for some reasons, memories of her blocked my vision. It had been in a room like this that Bella and I had first become friendly towards each other and not hold an animosity.

_She had woken me and I rubbed my eyes as I asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"_

_Bella realized that she had screamed out loud, but she shook it off, "Oh, it's nothing. Go back to sleep, just a flashback."_

_I propped up on one elbow and I raised my eyebrow, but my eyes were still full of concern, "Anything you want to talk to me about?" When I saw Bella being hesitant, I added, "If you don't want to, that'll be okay. But I just want to let you know that I'm there for you."_

_Bella looked at me skeptically, but knew that I was telling the truth. Bella shook her head, "It's nothing. Anyways, I can't get to sleep. Can you talk me to sleep?"_

_I just wanted to kiss those teary eyes and say everything would be alright…WHOA, I had thought. Where did that thought come from? This time, I shook my head as I asked, "Well, what do you want me to tell you about?"_

_Bella thought for a moment and then replied, "Yourself." When I raised my eyebrow, Bella for some reason chuckled, "Tell me about yourself."_

_I nodded as I tightened my lips, "Well, if you insist. I was born to Edward Sr. Masen and Elizabeth Masen. My parents died when I was eight. My father died of lung cancer and my mother followed shortly afterwards by…" he stopped as he looked ashamed. Bella instantly recognized what he was saying, and she laid her hand on his and gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled faintly back, before continuing, "I had been in an orphanage until I was ten, when Carlisle and Esme found me. They instantly fell in love with me, and brought me home. Ever since then, I had been honors student, pro athlete and heart throb. Afterwards, I decided to work as a FBI agent as the rest of my family had thought of doing. And here I am, lying in the bed with you."_

_Bella rolled her eyes at my pick up line, but not before yawning intensely. I smiled and said, "Tired yet?"_

_Nodding, Bella slept on her pillows, muttering, "Good night." Afterwards, she fell right asleep, snoring lightly. I chuckled and gave her a kiss on top of her head, before sleeping under the covers slowly afterwards._

I knew that somehow I was going to be able to get through this - somehow. I needed to get through the memories and move on with my life, even though I knew I couldn't.

I finally made the choice to phone Rose to see how Lisette was. I set down my suitcases on the ground as I grabbed my Blackberry and laid on my bed. I dialed the familiar number and waited for a person to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

I smiled at the person over the phone, "Hey Rose?"

"Edward! You made it! How's Rome?"

I chuckled before I asked, "It's great, but how's Lisette? Is she being a good girl?"

"Of course, why wouldn't she be? She's just sleeping now. I can wake her up if you want me to..." she trailed off not sure of what to do.

"No it's alright. Just tell her I called."

I left the conversation hanging at that and I knew she could sense the tension between us. We really didn't have anything to talk about outside of Lisette. She still had me angered of how she treated Bella.

However she had managed to catch something wrong, "Edward, are you alright? You don't seem yourself."

Well...obviously, I wasn't. I had seen a woman who I swear to God looks like Bella, but should I tell her that? Wouldn't she just think I was hallucinating? Wouldn't she think that I was...crazy? Too caught up in the past?

I had managed to reply, my voice very hoarse, "I think I saw...Bella."

On the other side of the line, I could hear no reply..

-:-

**OOO! Cliffy! So here you have it! The next chapter! I hope you guys liked it. I will try to get the next chapter out soon - sooner than this one, I hope. **

**Thanks!**

**Forgiveness is the scent that a rose leaves on the heel that crushes it.**

**-Rosefire**


	3. Chapter 3

I know that I have been postponing this fiction way too much, so now I just want to be it on HIATUS. I am way too busy with life and other things, so I believe that having a break will be good. I will try to work on these stories soon, but I can't guarantee when. I am so sorry to everyone who has been waiting patiently and impatiently :S. Hope you all understand!

Thanks for understanding,

Rosefire


	4. IMPORTANT AN: Please read!

Hi everyone! I know that it has been over a year and a half or so from my last update for this story. But no fear, I am coming with an update and should be the last chapter of this fic. I have now decided to finish it in the **summer** of this year. I will have more time then to write a proper conclusion, especially since I have exams and such, right now.

I also wish to finish my other fic for SWAC fandom **Entwined & Laced** before I tackle the last chapter. I am about 500 words in, and I hope for it to be a long chapter. If it gets too long, I might split it up in half. I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not given up on this story. You will get your conclusion and trust me, most of you will like it! Don`t review this, because I will delete this chapter and the one before this one to post the new updates in the **summer**. Hope to see everyone then!

Until then!

**Always exploring and unleashing,**

**ღ 'rEd RoSe-StArFiRe-RoSeFiRe'**


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